Captain John EggePrint Page

The bronze sculpture commemorates Chinese riverboat captain, John Egge (1830 - 1901). It was commissioned by the Wentworth Branch of the National Trust and sculpted by Lynne Edey and was unveiled in 2009 during the 150th anniversary of Wentworth. 

John Egge was born in Shanghai China in 1830. As a young man he worked a sampan on the Yangtze River. At 16 he sailed to Australia as cabin boy with Captain Francis Cadell.

Egge was the cook on Cadell’s PS Lady Augusta which raced with Captain Randall’s vessel, PS Mary Ann in 1853, to be the first to navigate the river between Goolwa, South Australia and the Junction.

At the Junction, the silt laden Darling River reminded Egge of China’s Yellow River. In 1859, he settled in Wentworth with his English wife Mary Perring and they raised eight children.

In 1866 he chartered his first river boat PS Treviot. By 1870, Egge was established as one of the biggest traders on the Murray Darling and his on-shore business interests had expanded at the same rate as his river trade. He also owned property in several towns on the Murray and Darling Rivers.

At various times he owned or captained the Moira, Endeavour, Prince Alfred and the floating emporium Murrumbidgee.

He operated a general store as well as a depot on this wharf, which supplied station properties and towns along both rivers.

Captain Egge died in Wentworth in 1901, and is buried in Wentworth Cemetery.

Location

Address:	Wharf Street, Wentworth Wharf, Wentworth, 2648
State:	NSW
Area:	AUS
GPS Coordinates:	Lat: -34.107431 Long: 141.920725 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.

View Google Map

Details

Monument Type:	Sculpture
Monument Theme:	People
Sub-Theme:	Industry
Artist:	Lynne Edey
Link:	http://adb.anu.edu.au/

Dedication

Actual Monument Dedication Date:	Friday 12th June, 2009

Source: MA, ADB